The field of the invention pertains to commercial and industrial trash containers and, in particular, to trash containers that can be lifted up and substantially rotated upside down by a hydraulic mechanism at the front of a trash carrier truck to thereby unload the trash into the truck. The modern truck mounted mechanisms permit the operator of the truck to empty the container into the truck without leaving the truck cab.
One continuing problem with large trash containers is the unauthorized use of the containers by persons wishing to dispose of trash without paying for the cost of disposing of the trash. This problem is becoming increasingly costly because of the increasing cost of suitable disposal sites. Moreover, many trash containers are being used for recyclable materials and therefore dedicated to specific materials such as box board or white paper. The lids are typically as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,088,616 and are used on a variety of sizes of trash containers that are emptied by lifting and tilting substantially upside down.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,155,584 discloses a gravity operated mechanism located within the trash container. The mechanism uses a spring urged lever to latch the lid from underneath within the trash container. In U.S. Pat. No. 4,182,530 a spring urged latch is retained by a gravity urged rotatable member. This mechanism relies upon the weight of the lid to release the latch when the trash container is tilted upside down.
A latch box is located on the side of the trash container in U.S. Pat. No. 5,094,487. This side mounted latch box includes a weighted bar that swivels into and out of position to latch and unlatch a bar depending from the lid. In U.S. Pat. No. 5,094,358 a trash container front mounted latch bar and latch box is disclosed. In one version a swivelable gravity activated bar engages an L-shaped bar attached to a rotatable shaft. In a second version a freely movable ball engages and disengages a bent bar attached to the rotatable shaft.
Trash containers are subjected to severe impacts because they are frequently banged and dropped in the unloading process. Therefore the following mechanism has been developed to provide a mechanism that will not be damaged by the typical mistreatment to which trash containers are subject.